Books like 'The Reluctant Queen'

Readers who enjoyed The Reluctant Queen by Sarah Beth Durst also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.

fantasy  romance  high fantasy  action / adventure  mystery  supernatural  magic  epic  animals  royalty 

  • Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas

    Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas

    Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars
    · 97 ratings
    Kingdoms will collide.The long path to the throne has only just begun for Aelin Galathynius as war looms on the horizon. Loyalties have been broken and bought, friends have been lost and gained, and those who possess magic find themselves at odds with those who don't...
  • Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas

    Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas

    Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars
    · 98 ratings
    Everyone Celaena Sardothien loves has been taken from her. But she’s at last returned to the empire—for vengeance, to rescue her once-glorious kingdom, and to confront the shadows of her past…She has embraced her identity as Aelin Galathynius, Queen of Terrasen. But before she can reclaim her throne, she must fight.She will fight for her cousin, a warrior prepared to die for her...
  • Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo

    Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo

    Rated: 4.51 of 5 stars
    · 95 ratings
    Crooked Kingdom: the highly anticipated sequel to Leigh Bardugo's thrilling #1 New York Times-bestselling Six of Crows.Kaz Brekker and his crew have just pulled off a heist so daring even they didn't think they'd survive. But instead of divvying up a fat reward, they're right back to fighting for their lives. Double-crossed and badly weakened, the crew is low on resources, allies, and hope...
  • Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas

    Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas

    Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars
    · 102 ratings
    Celaena has survived deadly contests and shattering heartbreak-but at an unspeakable cost. Now, she must travel to a new land to confront her darkest truth . . . a truth about her heritage that could change her life-and her future-forever. Meanwhile, brutal and monstrous forces are gathering on the horizon, intent on enslaving her world...
    Categorized as:
    alpha-mc  dark  epic  fae  female-mc  friendship  magic  multi-pov
  • Draekora by Lynette Noni, Carly Robins

    Draekora by Lynette Noni, Carly Robins

    Rated: 4.58 of 5 stars
    · 19 ratings
    'I swear by the stars that you and the others slain tonight will be the first of many. Of that you have my word.'With Aven Dalmarta now hiding in the shadows of Meya, Alex is desperate to save Jordan and keep the Rebel Prince from taking more lives...
  • The Crimson Crown by Cinda Williams Chima

    The Crimson Crown by Cinda Williams Chima

    Rated: 4.47 of 5 stars
    · 51 ratings
    A thousand years ago, two young lovers were betrayed—Alger Waterlow to his death, and Hanalea, Queen of the Fells, to a life without love.Now, once again, the Queendom of the Fells seems likely to shatter apart. For young queen Raisa ana’Marianna, maintaining peace even within her own castle walls is nearly impossible; tension between wizards and Clan has reached a fevered pitch...
  • Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas

    Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas

    Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars
    · 101 ratings
    "A line that should never be crossed is about to be breached.It puts this entire castle in jeopardy—and the life of your friend."From the throne of glass rules a king with a fist of iron and a soul as black as pitch. Assassin Celaena Sardothien won a brutal contest to become his Champion. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown...
  • Raelia by Lynette Noni

    Raelia by Lynette Noni

    Rated: 4.47 of 5 stars
    · 19 ratings
    “Life is full of crossroads, Alex. Full of choices.”Returning for a second year at Akarnae Academy with her gifted friends, Alexandra Jennings steps back through a doorway into Medora, the fantasy world that is full of impossibilities. Despite the magical wonder of Medora, Alex’s life remains threatened by Aven Dalmarta, the banished prince from the Lost City of Meya who is out for her blood...
  • The Gray Wolf Throne by Cinda Williams Chima

    The Gray Wolf Throne by Cinda Williams Chima

    Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars
    · 50 ratings
    Han Alister thought he had already lost everyone he loved. But when he finds his friend Rebecca Morley near death in the Spirit Mountains, Han knows that nothing matters more than saving her...
  • The Assassin and the Empire by Sarah J. Maas

    The Assassin and the Empire by Sarah J. Maas

    Rated: 4.37 of 5 stars
    · 44 ratings
    Celaena Sardothien is the assassin with everything: a place to call her own, the love of handsome Sam, and, best of all, freedom. Yet, she won’t be truly free until she is far away from her old master, Arobynn Hamel; Celaena must take one last daring assignment that will liberate her forever. But having it all, means you have a lot to lose . .
    Categorized as:
    alpha-mc  dark  epic  fae  female-mc  magic  paranormal  royalty
  • Overtaken by K.F. Breene

    Overtaken by K.F. Breene

    Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars
    · 29 ratings
    Reunited with her people, Shanti knows that she must make a move in order to finally put her duty to rest. But as always, Xandre is one step ahead of her.For one brief moment when she lets down her guard, Shanti falls into enemy hands. But if Xandre thought she would be a docile prisoner, he was sadly mistaken...
  • From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

    From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

    Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars
    · 97 ratings
    A Maiden…Chosen from birth to usher in a new era, Poppy’s life has never been her own. The life of the Maiden is solitary. Never to be touched. Never to be looked upon. Never to be spoken to. Never to experience pleasure. Waiting for the day of her Ascension, she would rather be with the guards, fighting back the evil that took her family, than preparing to be found worthy by the gods...
  • The Reckoning by Vanessa Nelson

    The Reckoning by Vanessa Nelson

    Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    Missing girls. A plea for help she can’t ignore. An ancient enemy with plans of his own. Nine-year-old girls are missing from across the lands. Yvonne has promised to find them, and she always keeps her promises. Even when she doesn’t know where to start looking. There’s more trouble around. Mercenaries are disappearing...
  • Invasion by K.F. Breene

    Invasion by K.F. Breene

    Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars
    · 33 ratings
    The Hunter was not trained to admit defeat.With the title of Chosen secured, Shanti and Cayan must look to the next steps in ripping back their freedom from the most deadly tyrant in the land. Unfortunately, they aren't the only ones with an agenda.Without mental power to defend themselves, the Westwood Lands are trapped within their own walls...
  • The Assassin and the Desert by Sarah J. Maas

    The Assassin and the Desert by Sarah J. Maas

    Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars
    · 43 ratings
    The Silent Assassins of the Red Desert aren’t much for conversation, and Celaena Sardothien wouldn’t have it any other way. She’s not there to chatter, she’s there to hone her craft as the world’s most feared killer for hire. When the quiet is shattered by forces who want to destroy the Silent Assassins, Celaena must find a way to stop them, or she’ll be lucky to leave the desert alive...
    Categorized as:
    alpha-mc  epic  fae  female-mc  friendship  humor  magic  paranormal
  • The Exiled Queen by Cinda Williams Chima

    The Exiled Queen by Cinda Williams Chima

    Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars
    · 51 ratings
    Haunted by the loss of his mother and sister, Han Alister journeys south to begin his schooling at Mystwerk House in Oden’s Ford. But leaving the Fells doesn’t mean that danger isn't far behind. Han is hunted every step of the way by the Bayars, a powerful wizarding family set on reclaiming the amulet Han stole from them. And Mystwerk House has dangers of its own...
  • Crown of Crystal Flame by C.L. Wilson

    Crown of Crystal Flame by C.L. Wilson

    Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars
    · 33 ratings
    A Song of Love won her heart.A Song of Darkness haunted her soul.A Song in the Dance would seal her fate.Seers had long foreseen an extraordinary destiny for Ellysetta Baristani. Already she had won the heart of the Fey King—the magnificent Rain, ever her ally, eternally her love. She had saved the offspring of the magical tairen and fought beside her legendary mate against the armies of Eld...
    Categorized as:
    alpha-mc  dark  epic  fae  female-mc  magic  paranormal  royalty
  • The Assassin and the Underworld by Sarah J. Maas

    The Assassin and the Underworld by Sarah J. Maas

    Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars
    · 51 ratings
    When the King of the Assassins gives Celaena Sardothien a special assignment that will help fight slavery in the kingdom, she jumps at the chance to strike a blow against an evil practice. The mission is a dark and deadly affair which takes Celaena from the rooftops of the city to the bottom of the sewer--and she doesn't like what she finds there...
    Categorized as:
    alpha-mc  epic  fae  female-mc  humor  magic  paranormal  royalty
  • The Steele Wolf by Chanda Hahn

    The Steele Wolf by Chanda Hahn

    Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars
    · 18 ratings
    After finally settling into her new life at the Citadel, Thalia is reunited with her father, who is disturbed at the changes within her. Risking banishment, Thalia must work to prove to her clan and herself that she is still capable of leading them. The problem is, her memories haven’t returned, and she cannot shake the feeling that she doesn’t belong...
  • The Silver Siren by Chanda Hahn

    The Silver Siren by Chanda Hahn

    Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars
    · 30 ratings
    Every journey has an end.Unable to find the answers she sought in Skyfell, Thalia, Joss, and Kael travel to Haven with a prisoner in tow. An attack on the road waylays their plans, and Thalia finds herself traveling alone with Kael to the hidden sanctuary of the SwordBrothers.But war is on the horizon and the Raven is amassing his army...
  • Strength by Jane Washington, Jaymin Eve

    Strength by Jane Washington, Jaymin Eve

    Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars
    · 36 ratings
    Willa Knight: Dead? Alive? Damned to a state of eternal bad luck? Willa and the Abcurse brothers are back, and more determined than ever to stick by each other. Unfortunately, Staviti has other plans, plans that threaten to change the natural order of the worlds—though nobody really understands why...
  • Den of Wolves by Juliet Marillier

    Den of Wolves by Juliet Marillier

    Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars
    · 31 ratings
    The “powerful and emotionally-charged” fantasy series from the author of the Sevenwaters novels continues, as Blackthorn and Grim face haunting secrets and old adversaries... Feather bright and feather fine, None shall harm this child of mine... Healer Blackthorn knows all too well the rules of her bond to the fey: seek no vengeance, help any who ask, do only good...
  • The Shadow Queen by Anne Bishop

    The Shadow Queen by Anne Bishop

    Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars
    · 35 ratings
    In her national bestselling Black Jewels novels, Anne Bishop’s “surefire spell craft…leave[s] readers’ hearts pounding.” Now her “feverish pacing and terrifying twists” are showcased once again. In a tumultuous world ruled by witches and warlocks who wear their power as jewels, one Queen’s chance at redemption is the last hope for a desperate people…Dena Nehele is a land decimated by its past...
  • Finale by Stephanie Garber

    Finale by Stephanie Garber

    Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars
    · 60 ratings
    A love worth fighting for. A dream worth dying for. An ending worth waiting for.It’s been two months since the Fates were freed from a deck of cards, two months since Legend claimed the throne for his own, and two months since Tella discovered the boy she fell in love with doesn’t really exist...
    Categorized as:
    alpha-mc  dark  epic  family  female-mc  magic  multi-pov  paranormal
  • The Last Ever After by Soman Chainani

    The Last Ever After by Soman Chainani

    Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars
    · 42 ratings
    In the epic next chapter of Soman Chainani’s New York Times bestselling series, The School for Good and Evil, everything old is new again as Sophie and Agatha fight the past as well as the present to find the perfect end to their story.As A World Without Princes closed, the end was written and former best friends Sophie and Agatha went their separate ways...
  • Akarnae by Lynette Noni

    Akarnae by Lynette Noni

    Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars
    · 20 ratings
    With just one step, 16-year-old Alex Jennings' world changes - literally. Dreading her first day at a new school, Alex is stunned when she walks through a doorway and finds herself stranded in Medora, a fantasy world full of impossibilities. Desperate to return home, she learns that only Professor Marselle can help her...but he's missing...
  • Mastiff by Tamora Pierce

    Mastiff by Tamora Pierce

    Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars
    · 40 ratings
    The Hunt is on!Three years have passed since Beka Cooper almost died in the sewers of Port Caynn, and she is now a respected member of the Provost's Guard. But her life takes an unexpected turn when her fiancé is killed on a slave raid. Beka is faced with a mixture of emotions as, unbeknownst to many, she was about to call the engagement off...
  • The Iron Butterfly by Chanda Hahn

    The Iron Butterfly by Chanda Hahn

    Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars
    · 24 ratings
    Imprisoned, starved and left with no memories, Thalia awakens to find herself at the mercy of an evil cult known as the Septori. Their leader has chosen Thalia as the test subject for a torture device of untold power, designed to change and twist her into something that is neither human nor Denai.Escaping, Thalia finds an unwilling warrior to protect her and an unlikely Denai to befriend her...
  • Volcrian's Hunt by T.L. Shreffler

    Volcrian's Hunt by T.L. Shreffler

    Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars
    · 14 ratings
    A plague is spreading across the land. Crops are rotting. People are dying in the streets. Sora, with the help of her magical Cat's Eye necklace, is the only one who can stop it.She must travel overseas to the Lost Isles, a place of legend and mystery. Only there can she destroy the bloodmage, Volcrian, putting an end to the curse...
  • His Holy Bones by Ginn Hale

    His Holy Bones by Ginn Hale

    Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
    · 16 ratings
    When John opens a letter addressed to his missing roommate, Kyle, he expects to find a house key, but instead he is swept into a strange realm of magic, mysticism, revolutionaries and assassins. Though he struggles to escape, John is drawn steadily closer to a fate he share with Kyle—to wake the destroyer god, the Rifter, and shatter a world...
  • Queen of Song and Souls by C.L. Wilson

    Queen of Song and Souls by C.L. Wilson

    Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars
    · 32 ratings
    Two lovers, two hearts, one soul.Only joined can they be truly complete.Only joined can they survive the darkness.The Fey King Rain and his truemate Ellysetta share a passionate love unrivaled in the history of their world—and a forbidden power that made them outcasts from the Fading Lands...
    Categorized as:
    alpha-mc  epic  fae  female-mc  magic  paranormal  royalty  suspense
  • The Heart of Betrayal by Mary E. Pearson

    The Heart of Betrayal by Mary E. Pearson

    Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars
    · 57 ratings
    Held captive in the barbarian kingdom of Venda, Lia and Rafe have little chance of escape . . . and even less of being together.Desperate to save her life, Lia's erstwhile assassin, Kaden, has told the Vendan Komisar that she has a magical gift, and the Komisar's interest in Lia is greater than either Kaden or Lia foresaw...
  • The Princess Knight by G.A. Aiken

    The Princess Knight by G.A. Aiken

    Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars
    · 27 ratings
    Gemma Smythe dedicated her life to the glory of battle. With her fellow War Monks, she worshipped the war gods, rained destruction on her enemies, and raised the dead when the fancy took her. Until her sister Keeley became the prophesied Blacksmith Queen, and Gemma broke faith with her order to journey to the Amichai Mountain and fight by Keeley’s side...
  • The Crown of Embers by Rae Carson

    The Crown of Embers by Rae Carson

    Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars
    · 47 ratings
    She does not know what awaits her at the enemy's gate.Elisa is a hero. She led her people to victory over a terrifying, sorcerous army. Her place as the country's ruler should be secure. But it isn't.Her enemies come at her like ghosts in a dream, from both foreign realms and within her own court. And her destiny as the chosen one has not yet been fulfilled...
  • Gathering Darkness by Morgan Rhodes, Michelle Rowen

    Gathering Darkness by Morgan Rhodes, Michelle Rowen

    Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars
    · 40 ratings
    In GATHERING DARKNESS, book three of the New York Times bestselling Falling Kingdoms series, the stakes have never been higher as three teams push forward on a race to find the Kindred, the four elemental crystals possessing ancient all-powerful magic, first:Prince Magnus has just witnessed torture, death, and miracles during the bloody confrontation that decimated the rebel forces...
  • King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo

    King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo

    Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars
    · 74 ratings
    Face your demons... or feed them.The dashing young king, Nikolai Lantsov, has always had a gift for the impossible. No one knows what he endured in his country's bloody civil war--and he intends to keep it that way. Now, as enemies gather at his weakened borders, Nikolai must find a way to refill Ravka's coffers, forge new alliances, and stop a rising threat to the once-great Grisha Army...
  • The Beauty of Darkness by Mary E. Pearson

    The Beauty of Darkness by Mary E. Pearson

    Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars
    · 52 ratings
    Lia has survived Venda—but so has a great evil bent on the destruction of Morrighan. And only Lia can stop it.With war on the horizon, Lia has no choice but to assume her role as First Daughter, as soldier—as leader. While she struggles to reach Morrighan and warn them, she finds herself at cross-purposes with Rafe and suspicious of Kaden, who has hunted her down...
  • The High King's Tomb by Kristen Britain

    The High King's Tomb by Kristen Britain

    Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars
    · 35 ratings
    For Karigan G'ladheon, the call of magic in her blood is too strong to resist. Karigan returns to the Green Riders, the magical messengers of the king, to find she's badly needed. Rider magic has become unstable, many Riders have been lost, and the Rider corps is seriously threatened. The timing couldn't be worse. An ancient evil, long dormant, has reawakened, and the world is in peril...
    Categorized as:
    alpha-mc  animals  epic  fae  female-mc  magic  paranormal  royalty
  • I Destroyed the Elf Prince's Harem by Jocelynn Drake

    I Destroyed the Elf Prince's Harem by Jocelynn Drake

    Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    Who hasn't wanted to disappear into their favorite book? Live in the world of their favorite characters?Well, when this author fell off a bridge thanks to flipping a magic coin, I woke up in the one place I didn't want to be—my own unfinished novel.Now I'm trying to untangle this twisted plot, put the hero back on track to finding his brother's killer, and getting his happily ever after...
    Categorized as:
    fae  magic  paranormal  royalty  humor  sword-sorcery  romance  fantasy
  • The Plan Commences by Kristen Ashley

    The Plan Commences by Kristen Ashley

    Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars
    · 27 ratings
    Once upon a time, in a parallel universe, there existed the continent of Triton. The land was filled with beauty, but it was also splintered by war. Out of the chaos grew a conspiracy to reawaken the Beast, a fearsome creature who wrought only tragedy and devastation...
    Categorized as:
    alpha-mc  epic  fae  female-mc  humor  magic  paranormal  royalty
  • Broken Fortress by Ginn Hale

    Broken Fortress by Ginn Hale

    Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars
    · 17 ratings
    When John opens a letter addressed to his missing roommate, Kyle, he expects to find a house key, but instead he is swept into a strange realm of magic, mysticism, revolutionaries and assassins. Though he struggles to escape, John is drawn steadily closer to a fate he share with Kyle—to wake the destroyer god, the Rifter, and shatter a world...
  • Frostbite by Adrienne Woods

    Frostbite by Adrienne Woods

    Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars
    · 32 ratings
    Losing Lucian McKenzie, the Prince of her heart and discovering her true identity has made Elena Watkins' life almost unbearable. However, new trials will test the 17 year-old's strength and push her to limits she didn’t think were possible.Only a mysterious offer from Blake Leaf, the Rubicon and a dragon predestined for evil, reveals there may be a light at the end of Elena’s dark tunnel...
  • The Bird and the Sword by Amy Harmon

    The Bird and the Sword by Amy Harmon

    Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars
    · 43 ratings
    Swallow, Daughter, pull them in, those words that sit upon your lips. Lock them deep inside your soul, hide them ‘til they’ve time to grow. Close your mouth upon the power, curse not, cure not, ‘til the hour. You won’t speak and you won’t tell, you won’t call on heav’n or hell. You will learn and you will thrive. Silence, Daughter. Stay alive...
  • First Rider's Call by Kristen Britain

    First Rider's Call by Kristen Britain

    Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars
    · 39 ratings
    GHOSTLY RIDERSKarigan G'ladheon had been a Green Rider, one of the king of Sacoridia's elite magical messengers...
    Categorized as:
    alpha-mc  animals  epic  fae  female-mc  magic  paranormal  royalty
  • The Iron Temple by Ginn Hale

    The Iron Temple by Ginn Hale

    Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars
    · 17 ratings
    When John opens a letter addressed to his missing roommate, Kyle, he expects to find a house key, but instead he is swept into a strange realm of magic, mysticism, revolutionaries and assassins. Though he struggles to escape, John is drawn steadily closer to a fate he share with Kyle—to wake the destroyer god, the Rifter, and shatter a world...
  • Touch of Power by Maria V. Snyder

    Touch of Power by Maria V. Snyder

    Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars
    · 31 ratings
    Laying hands upon the injured and dying, Avry of Kazan assumes their wounds and diseases into herself. But rather than being honoured for her skills, she is hunted. Healers like Avry are accused of spreading the plague that has decimated the Territories, leaving the survivors in a state of chaos...
  • The Assassin and the Healer by Sarah J. Maas

    The Assassin and the Healer by Sarah J. Maas

    Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars
    · 28 ratings
    Meet the Assassin: beautiful, defiant, destined for greatness. Celaena Sardothien has challenged her master. Now she must pay the price. Her journey to the Red Desert will be an arduous one, but it may change the fate of her cursed world forever..
    Categorized as:
    alpha-mc  dark  epic  fae  female-mc  humor  magic  paranormal
  • Night Study by Maria V. Snyder

    Night Study by Maria V. Snyder

    Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars
    · 36 ratings
    New York Times bestselling author Maria V. Snyder transports readers back to the realms of Sitia and Ixia in an exciting new Study novel full of magic, danger and intrigue. Ever since being kidnapped from the Illiais Jungle as a child, Yelena Zaltana's life has been fraught with peril. But the recent loss of her Soulfinding abilities has endangered her more than ever before...
    Categorized as:
    alpha-mc  dark  epic  family  female-mc  friendship  magic  paranormal
  • I Went on an Adventure and All I Got Was This Barbarian Orc by Jennifer Cody

    I Went on an Adventure and All I Got Was This Barbarian Orc by Jennifer Cody

    Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars
    · 12 ratings
    Berklak:Being a half-orc is fun most of the time. Most people think I’m all orc, and that usually slicks things up so I can glide in and out of town without much fuss. Most of the time things go really smoothly for me...
  • Heir to Sevenwaters by Juliet Marillier

    Heir to Sevenwaters by Juliet Marillier

    Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars
    · 35 ratings
    A brand new novel in the beloved world of Sevenwaters, a fantasy series that should appeal to "Lord of the Rings" fans (VOYA). The chieftains of Sevenwaters have long been custodians of a vast and mysterious forest. Human and Otherworld dwellers have existed there side by side, sharing a wary trust...
    Categorized as:
    alpha-mc  dark  epic  fae  family  female-mc  magic  paranormal
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